New blockchain project aims to provide an actual useful platform people can use

HAWKES BAY, NEW ZEALAND - 07/02/2018 — New non-profit blockchain project, Convict Chain, is developing an open-source platform to retain publicly available criminal conviction records. Creator Neville Pettersson says the project is going to be targeted at the most serious sexual and violent offenders and is currently in the development phase. He comments “Blockchain is the perfect platform for this project because it provides vital characteristics such as decentralization and immutability. Previously such a project wouldn’t have been possible. Blockchain empowers people and is going to be revolutionary”.

Sex offender registers and offender databases are not a new concept. There are many examples of public registers and databases around the globe. The majority of these are government or state-run and this is where the problems begin. Pettersson states, “Centrally controlled registers are not the optimal platform for these records. There are too many weaknesses. With Convict Chain no one organization or government will be able to control, censor or alter records. Anyone can use it, but no one can control it”.

Criminal justice systems have always been, by design, open and transparent. The mainstream media continually trawl the courtrooms to publish newsworthy criminal cases in their papers, websites and on social media. Pettersson comments “I’m not proposing anything new. Criminal convictions have always been public record. Anyone can walk into a courtroom and view proceedings. However, for some reason, judiciaries don’t make these records easily accessible to the public. After a while, these records effectively become suppressed. This is wrong and Convict Chain is the solution”.

Convict Chain is currently in the early stages of development. Pettersson is looking for people to help with the project, as well as accepting donations in cryptocurrency to fund this research and development. Pettersson comments, “Eventually, I’d like to get to the stage where Convict Chain is basically as easy as Googling someone. This is still a while away, but I’m working towards it slowly and am looking for people to help me, not just techies either. This project is very broad and I’m going to need help in a lot of different areas”.